Old Madam Ye was anxious, but the more anxious she became, the easier it was to reveal her secrets. She gave Qin Xiulian a push. “Say something, why don’t you!”
Ye Xiaohua chimed in, “That’s right, Eldest Aunt. Do tell—are little Douzi and I children of the Ye family or not? Uncle Sun said…”
Hearing the name “Uncle Sun” from her lips again, Qin Xiulian’s back instantly broke out in a cold sweat. Once could be a coincidence, but twice was not. Looking at the expression in the brat’s eyes, Qin Xiulian realized one thing with certainty: Ye Xiaohua was no longer a fool. She was not only different from the girl who used to take abuse without resistance, but she had also learned how to threaten people.
Right now, beneath the sunlight, the girl was looking at her with a sweet, innocent, yet triumphant smile. When Qin Xiulian heard her mention Uncle Sun last time, she had plotted how to drive the girl away to eliminate the threat forever; that was why she had come up with this brilliant plan that would kill two birds with one stone.
She hadn’t expected that, despite all her calculations, she had overlooked the fact that this silly girl could actually have a moment of intelligence.
If that was the case, did she also remember clearly the time she had gotten Old Sun to drown her? The more she thought about it, the more terrified Qin Xiulian became.
With her remaining silent for a long time, Old Madam Ye also found it unbearable. She was the one who had brought the village chief here to preside over the matter, but in no time at all, the situation had reversed. She felt as though she were sitting on pins and needles.
Old Madam Ye nudged Qin Xiulian with her elbow. “What are you doing? I told you to speak!”
Caught between the mother-in-law she had incited and the silly girl, Ye Xiaohua, Qin Xiulian knew that if she dared to provoke the girl again, Ye Xiaohua would surely expose her dirty secrets. The girl had hidden the fact that she had become clever just to wait for this moment. A smart child has her own agendas and can lie, but a fool cannot. If the girl were to spill the beans about what had happened between her and Old Sun, it would be set in stone.
Damn it.
Qin Xiulian cursed inwardly. She should have waited until the girl was dead before returning; it would have saved her all this trouble today.
“Eldest daughter-in-law, speak up,” the village chief urged, losing patience.
“Hehe…” Qin Xiulian laughed, feeling incredibly guilty. Suddenly, she took the initiative to grab Ye Xiaohua’s hand, clutching it tightly, with a warning hidden in her grip. “Third Uncle, it’s a long story. It’s all that woman Li’s fault for dragging the two children into this. My mother-in-law heard today that Li was being improper with other men, and she was so angry she fainted.”
Old Madam Ye glared at her, hating the way things were turning. “What are you saying?”
“Mother, I know you are angry, but after all, the two children are innocent. If not for my sake, then for the sake of the late Second Brother, think of how much he loved these two children when he was alive.”
Old Madam Ye looked at Qin Xiulian, puzzled, but then she realized—this little vixen had let her play the villain while she played the saint. They had agreed on everything at home, but the moment they turned around, she had sold her out.
Old Madam Ye was known for her quick temper and her inability to suffer a loss. Having been tricked by her daughter-in-law, she wanted to expose Qin Xiulian on the spot, but she had to acknowledge Qin Xiulian’s clever tactics. Before the old woman could speak, Qin Xiulian urgently added, “Mother, think of Teng’er…”
“He is about to get married. If any rumors get out now, what will the girl’s family think?”
Qin Xiulian continued to maintain her image as a kind person, forcing Old Madam Ye to swallow her pride. If she hadn’t mentioned Ye Teng, the old woman would have surely torn the mask off her face, but the moment Ye Teng was mentioned, Old Madam Ye couldn’t bear to ruin his prospects.
Old Madam Ye loved Ye Teng with all her heart. If she had shown even one-tenth of that love to Ye Xiaohua and her brother, the girl would have been content. But in reality, the old woman was stingy with even that fraction.
Old Madam Ye gritted her teeth and whispered, “You just wait.”
As for Qin Xiulian, she put on an expression of pleading, hoping to get through the current situation first and apologize later.
“So, are we children of the Ye family or not? If we don’t have the surname Ye, then what is our surname?” Ye Xiaohua pulled her hand away from Qin and walked up to the village chief, tugging at his sleeve.
Looking at Ye Xiaohua, the village chief’s heart softened. He stroked her hair with pity. “Poor child, sigh…”
“Yes, yes, of course you are. Your grandmother was just confused by anger. You don’t have any other name, you have the surname Ye.” Qin Xiulian cursed inwardly: Damn brat, playing dumb while knowing the truth. Just you wait.
All Ye Xiaohua wanted was their admission; otherwise, she couldn’t handle being put through this ordeal time and time again.
“It’s settled then. Don’t say we aren’t next time and try to drive us away again.”
The matter was thus settled. However, Old Madam Ye had lost all face in front of the village chief. She had rushed him here in a panic early in the morning, only for things to end up like this. Fortunately, he hadn’t made a final decision on the spot, otherwise he would have lost his reputation right before stepping down.
After returning home, Old Madam Ye inevitably had to settle old scores with Qin Xiulian, such as her audacity to call her an “old hag” or “that dying old woman.” The roles had reversed; this time it was Qin Xiulian who had to suffer in silence like someone eating bitter herbs. Yet, it remained the same: no one suspected a fool’s words.
However, relying on her silver tongue, Qin Xiulian soon managed to calm the old woman down.
Seeing that Old Madam Ye’s anger had subsided, Qin Xiulian spoke softly, “Mother, don’t you think the silly girl is different from before?”
Old Madam Ye rolled her eyes at her. “Is your brain broken? She’s a fool, how could she be any different?”
Qin Xiulian endured her abrasive tone. “No, don’t you think she has become smarter?”
“Are you the fool or am I? Where is she smart? If I must say, what was wrong with you today? Didn’t we discuss this properly at home? Why did you suddenly back out and sabotage me in front of so many people? How am I supposed to face anyone in the future?”
The matter had just been put to rest, but the old woman brought it up again, truly angry.
Qin Xiulian felt guilty and awkward, but she had to force herself to explain, “Mother, you misunderstood me again. The silly girl said we were after her house. If that gets out, what will outsiders think of Teng’er?”
“Let them think whatever they want,” Old Madam Ye said, thinking Qin Xiulian was just being timid. However, she suddenly remembered something. “Eldest daughter-in-law, I seem to have heard that silly girl mention ‘Uncle Sun’ more than once. There is no one surnamed Sun in our village. Do you have a distant cousin named Sun?”
“Ah?” Hearing this, cold sweat broke out on Qin Xiulian’s palms. It’s the one thing I feared most. “Ah, yes. But we aren’t very close. We haven’t kept in touch for years; he only visited twice, when I got married and when Teng’er was born.”
Old Madam Ye nodded, but Qin Xiulian still felt uneasy, wondering if the old hag believed her or not.